You can make a version of this called Fisherman's Pie by substituting cooked fish for the meat and making a white sauce instead of gravy. I usually put cheese in the white sauce. I put cooked spinach in the bottom of the baking dish, top it with cooked (or canned) fish, then the white sauce and finally on the top the mashed potatoes. Then bake, just to warm everything.

I see people talking of shepherds' pie as beef and sweet corn, that is something properly called pate chinois, shepherds pie must contain lamb, other beef pies are cottage pies. (And its shepherds' not shepherd's).
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I made this a few nights ago for supper. My boyfriend and I really enjoyed it. It looked exactly like the picture too! My old recipe for shephard's pie called for cottage cheese in the potato mixture, which I really enjoyed the creamyness from and would recommend it in this recipe.

My boyfriend also made this for me one day when I came home late. Wow! He did it perfectly!

Instead of the beef broth I use a can of Tomato soup. I also put a can of kernel corn and a can of green beans between the layer of meat and potatoes. I put thin slices of jalapenos on top of the potatoes for asthetic value and to add a little heat.

I like to include a can of baked beans instead of the gravy, and some frozen peas and corn. Also a squirt of tomato sauce/ketchup and worcestershire sauce. I also sometimes put a layer of mashed sweet potato (yam) under the layer of potato - it's a bit fussy, but it looks & tastes really good!